Rialto Chamber of Commerce

CommuteSmart.info offers one-stop shop for travel
Regional website offers handy tools for drivers, carpoolers, transit users

County transportation agencies from San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura discussed the idea of a regional commuting website in September 2004 and launched the site in January. The site was developed through a partnership between the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works and the Riverside County Transportation Comission.

In September 2005, Commutesmart.info was upgraded with maps that cover a larger geographical area, including the Cajon Pass, San Bernardino mountain resorts and the desert regions to the Nevada and Arizona borders. These areas are especially sensative to weather and recreational travel conditions, so it was important to include them, Kirkhoff said.

Traffic Map Features

One of the most popular features of the website is its traffic updates, which provide real-time traffic information. The maps show accidents, lane closures and other "live" traffic problems for 11 areas:

In addition, the maps show views from Caltrans freeway cameras in the Inland Empire and include the text of changeable message signs, such as Amber Alerts. In other Southland areas, the maps show freeway speeds and estimates travel times between freeway sections.

Commuting Help

But wait, there's more! Commuters can get help with finding carpool or vanpool partners through a database of more than 400,000 people in Southern California. By entering basic information about daily commute patterns, solo drivers can find themselves ridesharing in no time.

Those who prefer to travel by rail or by bus - for work or for recreation - can check out the Bus / Rail Planner section of the website. Using a route planner developed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, riders simply enter their destination, time and day of travel and several other parameters, and the site will create a suggested customized route for trips all over the region.

Further, people who rideshare can learn about rebates and other incentives that they can receive for carpooling, vanpooling, taking mass transit or cycling to work. For example, in San Bernardino County, those who rideshare can earn $2 per day for the first three months.

Lots, Lanes & Links

CommuteSmart.info also has a listing and map of Park & Ride lots by city and by county. In addition, the site includes a map of existing carpool lanes and carpool lanes that are under construction and explains the benefits and policies of using these lanes. Links also are in place to Caltrans roadwork advisories in San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange and Los Angeles counties.